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INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS
JOURNAL
Small
Biz
VOL. 25 NO. 38, NOV. 29-DEC. 5,
2004
Leadership
Every top-notch
leader needs a powerful vision
You can paint a
picture of the future that will inspire your people to
manage themselves to achieve the goals
By CJ
McClanahan
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Does your company
have a leadership problem?
Most people would answer
"yes," no matter how successful their company may be. In
fact, this challenge is so huge that a quick search on the
word "leadership" on Amazon.com returns more than 115,000
entries!
In case you don't have the time to read
115,000 books, I've developed a list of the 13 key
characteristics of all great leaders. I will address a new
characteristic in each column.
The first (and
arguably most important) characteristic is often the most
difficult skill for leaders to develop. That is the ability
to paint a current picture of the future in the form of a
powerful vision. The common quality in all great leadership
stories is the ability to first create a vision and then be
able to effectively share that vision with the people. It is
from this beginning that so many success stories have
evolved. It is in the absence of this beginning that so many
businesses have failed.
Anybody can manage other
people. But few managers can develop a meaningful vision
that really gets the most out of a team. Best-selling author
Harry Beckwith puts it best by saying: "Few Americans yearn
to be managed; most talented people despise the very idea.
You do not manage people. You create a business that they
care so much about that they don't require management;
create goals so compelling that your employees manage
themselves to achieve them."
So, how do you create a
vision that inspires people to manage themselves?
First, you must develop a clear understanding of the
things that truly inspire you and your team. This is
typically the most difficult task in developing a powerful
vision. In addition, it will vary depending on the
personalities involved and the product or service offered.
For example, if you are the executive director of a
homeless shelter, you can probably develop a fairly
meaningful vision during your next coffee break. But what if
you sell office supplies? In this situation, a great leader
will guide his team through the process of creating a
powerful vision by forcing them to think creatively and
outside the box (please pardon the overused phrase). His
questions might include:
-- What can we offer the
market that is completely different from everyone else?
-- In five years, IBJ is writing a story about us,
the biggest success story in central Indiana. What does it
say?
-- We have a stack of 50 resumes for every open
position. Why?
Once you understand what drives you
and your team, you must then create a vision that can be
easily stated or summarized in one simple thought or
sentence. A three-paragraph vision covering numerous topics
will not work, regardless of how well it is written. It
might look great on your Web site, but it will not energize
your company.
The final step is to always lead your
company according to your vision. This means that every
prospect you pursue, every person you hire and every
management decision you make must all support your vision.
For example, if the vision for your company is "The best
quality in town," you had better not choose an inferior
product (or person), even if it means more profit.
Becoming a great leader isn't easy. But if you start
with a powerful vision, you can create an amazing
environment where leading your team is a lot easier and more
fun.--
CJ McClanahan is a business coach with Action
International. He can be reached at 845-9742 or
info@coachcj.com.
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